Wii hee

[Bonegavel]

Like most other nerdly dads I wanted to get a wii for myself almost as much for my kid, but I wasn't going to pay an extra few hundred bucks on ebay. It was retail or notail.

Saturday at our company holiday party, I somehow entered into a "buying a wii" conversation with somebody at our table and she mentioned that the local Target was getting in something like 126 wiis in the morning. The checkout person offered up this information without her ever asking.

I had spent the last month scouring every store in the Lehigh Valley and had sisters in 2 other states looking for wiis. Of course, nothing. In fact, I haven't seen a wii on the shelf since it came out last year. The local Toys R Us recommended I show up every Sunday morning @ 5 for a chance to get one. Didn't sound promising.

So, Saturday night I set my alarm for 4:30 in the AM. I awoke to the sound of ice pelting my windows at 2:00 AM. I stayed up and argued with myself over the merits of going back to bed vs. standing outside in horrible weather with the possibility of coming home empty.

I skulked around until about 5 and finally made up my mind to gear up and giving it a shot. Who else would be crazy enough to stand outside until 8am for a stupid wii.

My car was encased in ice. The ground crunched beneath my feet (when I wasn't slipping around). I scraped until I thought I had worn through the windshield. The blasting heater in the car sounded like a jet engine test.

A few times I almost turned back, but the information sounded too credible and the lure of a wii (which I have never played, BTW) was too strong.

I didn't have breakfast or anything to drink. I figured that when I pulled into the parking lot and it was empty I would head up to McD's and grab a sandwich or 2 and then make my way back to the store.

Needless to say, I didn't see another soul on the road (which raised my hopes for there being nobody in line) and I kept thinking if I rolled off into a ditch and died that I deserved it. I've never skipped work because of bad weather, but I know I would have been miserable traveling to work in this condition rather than highly excited.

I round the corner of the Target and all I can see are cars in the parking lot. It was now about 5:55 am and I see the line of people wrap around the corner. I never parked and exited my vehicle as quickly as I did at that moment.

As it turns out, I was lucky that I was "around the corner" because the wind/snow/sleet was brutal in the main section of the line by the door and where I wound up wasn't too bad. Cold, but not devastating.

I remember when the Cabbage Patch craze of the 80s made mothers fist fight in the isles and I thought that the people that lined up for stuff were insane. Standing outside in a snow storm at 6 am on a Sunday I think proved me right.

The great thing was that everyone in line was super-nice and we were never at a loss for conversation. Mom's in line for their kids. A couple in line for their son. A wife in line for her husband. Dads in line for their kids (**cough**cough**).

Rumors were flying that there were 120+ but that the employees received first dibs and that there would only be 90 for sale. I hadn't counted the line in front of me but my guess was that I was fine either way. Then, somebody mentioned that these may just be the line holders that we saw and there might be more in the cars that were waiting for the store to open.

Despair loomed around that corner. My mental picture at this point had me getting up to the counter and they just handed the last wii to the person in front of me.

Well, come 7 am the manager of the store comes out and starts handing out vouchers for each wii they received. As he handed me my slip of paper I found out that I was 54th in line and there weren't legions of other crazy parents in the cars waiting for this moment. It looked like was getting my wii.

We were instructed to go back to our cars and begin lining up again at around 10 of 8. I held that little slip of paper like it was made of the most precious material in the universe. I dared not stick it in my wallet or pocket. I held it.

As I sat in my car I kept staring at the Target entrance waiting for the others to start milling around which of course started promptly at 7:40. My mental picture was now that they wouldn't go in order by number and I somehow got shafted because all the later liners jumped ahead. I was now farther ahead than I was when I first got in line. I was getting a wii.

Up until the moment they opened the doors and led us like cattle through the DVD and Book sections, I was still running mental scenarios where I was going home without a wii. To Target's credit, everything went without a hitch. They even had every register manned and ready to go.

My last mental gasp happened when I was just about to be handed a wii and the lady halted the line. They were handing out 7-10 at a time so that they could grab accessories and games and not get too bunched up. I stood there for what seemed an eternity staring at the pallet of wiis wondering what catastrophe was about to descend upon me that would prevent me from walking out of there with my prize.

And then, very anticlimactically, I was handed a wii and sort of pushed on my way and I sort of stumbled into the guy handing out extra wiimotes and nunchuks. I didn't even look at the receipt. They could have charged me $10,000 and I wouldn't have noticed.

I was thinking about stopping for breakfast, but I had to use the facilities and besides, I still felt like I wasn't going to walk into my house with a wii. I wanted to get home and then go from there.

They are out there if you can get lucky. Just bring gloves and some warm coffee!

[astrosfan64]

Originally Posted by Bonegavel

Like most other nerdly dads I wanted to get a wii for myself almost as much for my kid, but I wasn't going to pay an extra few hundred bucks on ebay. It was retail or notail.

Saturday at our company holiday party, I somehow entered into a "buying a wii" conversation with somebody at our table and she mentioned that the local Target was getting in something like 126 wiis in the morning. The checkout person offered up this information without her ever asking.

I had spent the last month scouring every store in the Lehigh Valley and had sisters in 2 other states looking for wiis. Of course, nothing. In fact, I haven't seen a wii on the shelf since it came out last year. The local Toys R Us recommended I show up every Sunday morning @ 5 for a chance to get one. Didn't sound promising.

So, Saturday night I set my alarm for 4:30 in the AM. I awoke to the sound of ice pelting my windows at 2:00 AM. I stayed up and argued with myself over the merits of going back to bed vs. standing outside in horrible weather with the possibility of coming home empty.

I skulked around until about 5 and finally made up my mind to gear up and giving it a shot. Who else would be crazy enough to stand outside until 8am for a stupid wii.

My car was encased in ice. The ground crunched beneath my feet (when I wasn't slipping around). I scraped until I thought I had worn through the windshield. The blasting heater in the car sounded like a jet engine test.

A few times I almost turned back, but the information sounded too credible and the lure of a wii (which I have never played, BTW) was too strong.

I didn't have breakfast or anything to drink. I figured that when I pulled into the parking lot and it was empty I would head up to McD's and grab a sandwich or 2 and then make my way back to the store.

Needless to say, I didn't see another soul on the road (which raised my hopes for there being nobody in line) and I kept thinking if I rolled off into a ditch and died that I deserved it. I've never skipped work because of bad weather, but I know I would have been miserable traveling to work in this condition rather than highly excited.

I round the corner of the Target and all I can see are cars in the parking lot. It was now about 5:55 am and I see the line of people wrap around the corner. I never parked and exited my vehicle as quickly as I did at that moment.

As it turns out, I was lucky that I was "around the corner" because the wind/snow/sleet was brutal in the main section of the line by the door and where I wound up wasn't too bad. Cold, but not devastating.

I remember when the Cabbage Patch craze of the 80s made mothers fist fight in the isles and I thought that the people that lined up for stuff were insane. Standing outside in a snow storm at 6 am on a Sunday I think proved me right.

The great thing was that everyone in line was super-nice and we were never at a loss for conversation. Mom's in line for their kids. A couple in line for their son. A wife in line for her husband. Dads in line for their kids (**cough**cough**).

Rumors were flying that there were 120+ but that the employees received first dibs and that there would only be 90 for sale. I hadn't counted the line in front of me but my guess was that I was fine either way. Then, somebody mentioned that these may just be the line holders that we saw and there might be more in the cars that were waiting for the store to open.

Despair loomed around that corner. My mental picture at this point had me getting up to the counter and they just handed the last wii to the person in front of me.

Well, come 7 am the manager of the store comes out and starts handing out vouchers for each wii they received. As he handed me my slip of paper I found out that I was 54th in line and there weren't legions of other crazy parents in the cars waiting for this moment. It looked like was getting my wii.

We were instructed to go back to our cars and begin lining up again at around 10 of 8. I held that little slip of paper like it was made of the most precious material in the universe. I dared not stick it in my wallet or pocket. I held it.

As I sat in my car I kept staring at the Target entrance waiting for the others to start milling around which of course started promptly at 7:40. My mental picture was now that they wouldn't go in order by number and I somehow got shafted because all the later liners jumped ahead. I was now farther ahead than I was when I first got in line. I was getting a wii.

Up until the moment they opened the doors and led us like cattle through the DVD and Book sections, I was still running mental scenarios where I was going home without a wii. To Target's credit, everything went without a hitch. They even had every register manned and ready to go.

My last mental gasp happened when I was just about to be handed a wii and the lady halted the line. They were handing out 7-10 at a time so that they could grab accessories and games and not get too bunched up. I stood there for what seemed an eternity staring at the pallet of wiis wondering what catastrophe was about to descend upon me that would prevent me from walking out of there with my prize.

And then, very anticlimactically, I was handed a wii and sort of pushed on my way and I sort of stumbled into the guy handing out extra wiimotes and nunchuks. I didn't even look at the receipt. They could have charged me $10,000 and I wouldn't have noticed.

I was thinking about stopping for breakfast, but I had to use the facilities and besides, I still felt like I wasn't going to walk into my house with a wii. I wanted to get home and then go from there.

They are out there if you can get lucky. Just bring gloves and some warm coffee!

Excellent story, good job on getting your system. Your kids will be thrilled.

[Lathum]

you win the award for the longest Wii story

[Mantle2600]

Get Mario Galaxy if you havent already, best Mario game since SMB 3.

[Lathum]

dola- very funny read, had me smiling and glad my wife got me one 3 months ago. She happened to be at Target when they were unloading them.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I remember the scenario last year. My wife preordered one at Gamestop during the week that they started taking the preorders, and then she showed up there on the morning of release and picked up the preorder. She was in and out of the store in 5 minutes with her Wii.

I knew that there would be a big demand for these things for at least a couple of months afterwards, but I didn't think that we'd still see stories like Bonegavel's after an entire year. I know that a lot of people were skeptical about the machine and didn't know that they'd want it when it first came out. I'm just glad that my wife was sure from day one, as I can't imagine trying to buy one of these things now.

Congrats on getting your Wii. Here's hoping that other FOFCers get one if they want it, too.

[korme]

Great story!

[jaygr]

Sounds a lot like my story, only from over a year ago now. I got one on the first day it went on sale. I can't believe they are still in such high demand. It also makes me feel bad that I haven't played the thing in months. It is pretty neat, but I've since gotten a 360 and play that nearly exclusively now.

[gstelmack]

Awesome, and will certainly make that Wii the centerpiece of conversation for a while. And you'll have a great story for the kids later: "I remember driving through the ice and the sleet and standing in line while it was snowing to buy my console!".

I was a fortunate one: at BJ's doing our normal shopping, and they had 6 cards for a $400 Wii bundle just sort of sitting there. I quietly separated from the wife and kids (making sure the wife knew) and snuck one out to the car. And yes, we've been good and kept it in the closet, and will continue to do so until late Christmas Eve when we have to set it up and test it to make sure it works...

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

Awesome, and will certainly make that Wii the centerpiece of conversation for a while. And you'll have a great story for the kids later: "I remember driving through the ice and the sleet and standing in line while it was snowing to buy my console!".

I was a fortunate one: at BJ's doing our normal shopping, and they had 6 cards for a $400 Wii bundle just sort of sitting there. I quietly separated from the wife and kids (making sure the wife knew) and snuck one out to the car. And yes, we've been good and kept it in the closet, and will continue to do so until late Christmas Eve when we have to set it up and test it to make sure it works...

Oh yeah, you have to do that rigorous testing eh?

[oliegirl]

I wanted to get one for my son for his b'day, was searching for months and couldn't find one. A friend of mine was trying to talk me into buying a 360 instead, so we went to Game Stop to look at them and compare...I wasn't sold on the 360 as the only game Anthony wanted it for was Halo 3, yet he had a laundry list of games for the Wii he wanted. I asked the guy behind the counter if they had any Wii's, they'd gotten 5 in that morning and had ONE left...I whipped out my credit card and said "sold!". I was SO excited and couldn't wait to give it to Anthony...I couldn't wait the week before his birthday so I gave it to him early - it was totally worth seeing the look on his face

Make sure to take pics xmas morning and post them so we can all see the fruits of your labor...and congrats!!!

[Godzilla Blitz]

I've been impressed with the games that have come out for the system in the past two months, and that more of them are now in the $20-30 range.

We played Wii Sports a few times a week after the launch last year, then stopped using the Wii altogether about two months after launch. Mario Soccer Strikers, or whatever that one is called, brought us back this summer, and now we're onto Mario and Sonic Olympics. We've got Lego Star Wars, Resident Evil, Mario Party 8, and a few others lined up for Christmas. I went a bit overboard at the latest Toys 'R Us sale.

Fun stuff.

[CU Tiger]

I guess I am one of the lucky ones.

My son wanted a Wii, so while running into targeet back in October to pick up some batteries for my digital camera to go to a job site I see the young kid stacking boxes on top of the game console thing. A quick conversation, merely because he was struggling, informed me that they were cases of Wii's and they were gearing up for Black Friday. I remarkd too bad you cant sell one now, "Oh yeah we can sell them anytime"

"ok Ill take one"

Got in the car and called the wife, she sent me back in for 3 more for her sisters and aunt. Done.

Telling one of my guys about the experience, he begins telling me how bad his son wants one and how much they go for on ebay (I honestly thought that phase was over) so I went back in and bought my best employee a Christmas bonus (the Wii for his son) and 6 more, all went on ebay...and I get to know 2 kids who will be happy on Christmas....

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Telling one of my guys about the experience, he begins telling me how bad his son wants one and how much they go for on ebay (I honestly thought that phase was over) so I went back in and bought my best employee a Christmas bonus (the Wii for his son) and 6 more, all went on ebay...and I get to know 2 kids who will be happy on Christmas....

And you don't have to think about the six who won't, or who won't have a game to play because putting six on ebay means the parents blew the wad getting them the system. It's a win-win!

[CU Tiger]

Well there were 139 more when I left....

And no, I prefer to think about the 6 kids who will enjoy Christmas, thanks to the sacrifice of their parents.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Well there were 139 more when I left....

And no, I prefer to think about the 6 kids who will enjoy Christmas, thanks to the sacrifice of their parents.

Well, sure. It's easy to couch it in noble terms when they're lining your pocketbook.

[Bonegavel]

Originally Posted by astrosfan64

Excellent story, good job on getting your system. Your kids will be thrilled.

Heh, thanks.

I did pick up Mario Galaxy and Mario Party 8. Reviews haven't been too kind to the 8... I'm thinking of taking it back. Anyone like MP8?

[MJ4H]

Yes, I like Mario Party 8.

[SackAttack]

MP8 seems to be one of those games that kids adore and older gamers get seriously annoyed by.

I've had scores of parents tell me their kids loved Mario Strikers Charged and Mario Party 8, but not nearly as many older gamers who've bought it have had good things to say.

[MJ4H]

Mario Strikers Charged is the panties, of course.

BTW 5,000'd

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Bonegavel

Heh, thanks.

I did pick up Mario Galaxy and Mario Party 8. Reviews haven't been too kind to the 8... I'm thinking of taking it back. Anyone like MP8?

To echo what others have said, my son (soon to be 6) loves it. I found it interesting since I had never played one of the Mario Party games before, but it got old fairly quickly.

[stevew]

I would have flipped a helluva lot more than 6 if I were you. Shit, 40-50 units and you basically make enough to put a hellified dent in your mortgage.

[stevew]

I saw like 50-60 people lined up at BB and CC sunday morning at about 6am. It was freezing rain, and about 20 degrees.

[Butter]

I started looking for this thing in early November, and was lucky enough to find one at a Game Crazy store attached to a Hollywood Video near my house. It was their last one, and was my 9th stop of the day.

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Well, sure. It's easy to couch it in noble terms when they're lining your pocketbook.

Dude, don't blame him for someone else's inability to understand supply and demand.